Bossy female Alexandrine

by Cathy O'Carroll
(Blenheim, New Zealand)

We have had Kimmi (female alexandrine) for four years and we got Louie (male alexandrine) a year ago. She has always been in love with my Fiancee Simon and we always believed she saw him as her "one and only". She lets him (but never anyone else) pat her, and handle her in any way.

We were hopeing that Kimmi and Louie might eventually mate but she is just so bossy to him and i dont think she would ever let it happen plus she is also in love with a human! She has started jumping off her cage and getting into the potato box in the kitchen and trying to nest in it. Who exactly does she think she's having Babies with? Simon the human? or Louie the Parrot? When shes in the box Louie calls our to her constantly, and when i try to put her back onto the cage she bites me furiously! Help!!!!!

Comments for Bossy female Alexandrine

I had the same problem with my female Alexandrine (Hardy). She was in love with me and would show mating behaviours towards me for years - i was the only one allowed to handle her etc - all the usual stuff, she was completely bonded to me and only me. I then got a male because I wanted to try breeding (Louie). She would not let him anywhere near her for about a month. I had to have 2 separate food and water dishes because she would guard them and he wouldn't get to eat. Finally they started getting closer and closer together until they were sleeping together, eating together and eventually mating.

For this to happen I had to stop handling her all together. I stayed as far away as possible and distanced myself completely from her. This allowed her to bond with Louie without me being competition for him. She will not let me handle her at the moment but that is to be expected as it is mating season. It is ok though because she has a wonderful and constant companion in Louie and that makes me happier. Oh their ages in case you are wondering, she is 7 and he is just on 3!! She has a toyboy haha

She has just laid an egg and from what i have been seeing it should be fertile!!

All the best, good luck and give them some time!!

Aug 16, 2011

Bossy female Alexandrineby: Linda

Well your female has come into sexual maturity, and it sounds like the male is either too small or too young for her to consider a mate. If you have them caged together, now is the time to put them in separate cages because she is likely to take out her frustrations on him with possibly dire consequences.

As for your betrothed and the female Alexandrine, yes, she has become sexually attached to him which is why I think your male is still too young to be considered worthy of her attentions.

You have a couple of choices here. One is to trade her to a breeder for a younger bird who may get along with your male, and the other is to read some of the training materials found on this site. Regardless of what you decide to do, please keep these birds or the new one in its own cage because birds who do not know each other will not be safe in the same cage. Right now, you male's life is in danger if she even once perceives that he may try and come between her and her human male.

Becoming hormonal does not go on forever though in the Ringneck family it can last for a while. I had a regular green Ringneck who turned out to be female. She was a rescue, and she attached to my husband. When he was there, she was all sweetness and light. Soon as she heard his car leave for work in the mornings, she'd fix me with those eyes telling me to "bring it on". She bit me, cussed me and made me feel unworthy to be alive all day until he came home. Then she was all sweetness again. He even accused me of lying about her(why would I have done that?). I finally called the president of our bird club, and she was a Ringneck breeder. She came and took the Green Thing from Hell away, put her with a mate, and they had babies as quickly as they could. So you may wish to contact an Alexandrine breeder in your area or try and retrain her to behave using materials found here, plus talking to a breeder or two about this. A visit to an Avian Vet is a must before any training can begin to rule out illness.